Clamping means



C. L. HARDWICK,

May 4, 1948.

CLAMPING MEANS Filed NOV. 2, 1945 Patented May 4, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLAMPING MEANS Christopher L. Hardwick, Cleveland, `Tenn. i Application November 2, 1945, Serial No. 626,325 3 claims. (ci. 292-288) This invention relates to improvements in clamping meansfor securely holding door and drawer panels of stoves and the like in place during shipment.

adaptable to be readily applied and removed from a stove or the like.

Still another object is to provide improved clamping means having cushioning means associated therewith for assuring of a tight clamping without danger of the stove compartment panels becoming marred during shipment.

These and other objects and advantages will be apparent as the specification is considered with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a stove showing my improved clamping means positioned thereon, and with one compartment door partly broken away to disclose the front frame; A

Figure 2 is a section on the line `2--2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a section on the ure 1;

Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of one form of clamping device; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing a modi fied form of washer.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, I generally designates a table top stove or range comprising a top burner compartment 2, a main centrally arranged baking and broiling oven 3, side warming compartments 4 and a bottom sliding utility drawer 5. The oven and side compartments are closed by conventional enamel or porcelain iinished paneled doors 6 and 1, respectively, each of which is insulated in the conventional manner, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, and supplied withsuitable handles 8. s' In the stoveor range illustrated in Figure l, the main oven'door 6 is hinged by suitable hinges, not shown, to the front frame 9 so as to swing downwardly about a horizontal axis and the side doors I are similarly hinged to swing outwardly in opposing directions about vertical axes. When closed, the doors and utility drawer will iiatly engage the line 3-3 of Figiront frame 9 and the side edges of the adjacent door and drawer panels will be spaced slightly from each other to provide clearance `and to per'-A mit of the assembly of the clamps about to be described. Y

Due to the particular arrangement of main oven and compartment doors and drawers inthe stove illustrated, it is necessary to employ a plurality of clamps. Thus, one `form of clamp `I!) is assembledonv each of the side .compartment doors 1 and engages with the main oven door on either side thereofand another form of clamping device IIis applied to the front frame f3 at points intermediate the ends of the utility Ldrawer 5 and the side compartment doors "'I. so that the respective doors anddrawer are securely clamped or anchored in closed position, as shown in Figure 1.

Referring more particularly to the clamps I0",

`referred to above, each clamp comprises a strip of sheet metal bentto-form two oppositely ex-` tending, substantially parallel flat, relativelynarrow, offset inner, and outer tongues I2 and I3, l

respectively, connected at their inner ends by an integral flat web I4. The tongues extend in opposing lateral directions and therefore lie in substantially thesame horizontal plane while` the web I4 extends at substantially a right angle to the tongues. Theinnermost tongue I2 iiatly engages with the rear wall I5 of the side compartmentdoor `1 and is secured thereto by any suitable means such as a bolt or the like IB which extends through apertures I1 and I8 in l the tongue and wall, respectively. When the doors 6 `and 1 are closed the web I4 will extend forwardly between the adjacent side edges of the doors and the outer ton-gue I3 will overlap and snugly engage the outer face of the compartment door 6, thus holding the latter tightly closed. s

The space between the adjacent side edges of the doors 6 and l is sufficient to permit of preferably three-ply corrugated paper liner panel engaging strips 2I, associated. with and similar in shape tothe metal clamps Ill, being interposed` therebetween. The paper strips williunrtipn` asH cushions to insure against theiinish of the doors becoming `marred or otherwise damaged. The positioning 4of the paper strips 2| `between the side edges 20 of the oven door 6 and thewebs I4 of the clamps causes the doors to become wedged together so that the doors will be retained in closed positions during shipment.

As previously mentioned, the bottom clamps I I are applied to the front frame 9 at points intermediate the ends of the utility drawer 5 and the side compartment doors 1, as best shown in Figure 1. Each of the clamps H comprises a piece of wire 22 threaded through an opening 24 in a metal stop nut 23. The Wire 22 is folded over, as at 25, to form two substantially parallel strands or portions 2t of any suitable length which are twisted at their inner joined ends, as at 21, so that the stop nut 23 is retainedin position thereon. The4 Wire-strands 2S are adapted Ato be inserted throughapertures 2l in the front frame 9 of the stove at points preferably intermediate the top and bottom edges of the utility drawer and the adjacent spaced side edges i9 and `3l of the side doors 'I and utility drawer 5, the

stop nuts 23 engaging the frame, as shown in- Figure 2. In these assembledpositions, a prefere ably three-ply corrugated paper panel engaging cushioning strip 28, a large metal washer or disc 29 and a nut 39 are arranged in superposed relationin` the order. named,` on. the free ends of each'7 of the clampingA wires 22;'- the` strip 2 3;

washer .29`and nut 311i Vbeing formed; with apertures- 'ZBL, 291"and'35"r,espectively, for this purpose. The free ends ofthe strands or wires 26, extending throughaperturess in the nuts, 3e, are-pulled therethrough byy any, suitable tool so that;l Vthe Yrelatively large heavy flexible paper strips, 278,1 which overlap the drawer/5 and doors 7,1are forced tightly against the faces of the respective door and drawer panels, also as best shown inl'gurelZ.y The free ends of the strands 26" are then bent. over the nutss in opposing directions,.andif desiredltwisted about themselyes,` s o that the clamping units are securely.

retainedfinflocked clamping,` positions relative to the; door and, drawer panels, .the extended ends ofthe strands being of considerable lengthV for this purpose. Whilev the paper stripsll` are preferably rectangular in shape, it will be understoodtliat 4the same may be of.v circular or any other desired configuration, proyided the strips will overlap and iiatly` engage the adjacent side edges of. the respectiveside doors and utility drawer and, prevent the latter from, becoming marred or. otherwise. damaged. Erom the foregoingr itfwillbe seen that the clamps H securely clampzthe lower ends of the side' doors l and the utilityrdrawer 5 in. closed positions while the top clamps l.clamp the upper ends of the doors 'I and oven door: 6^.'

In l't'igurel 5. I employ a slightlyy modified form of'washer, V39, whichV is provided'with an additional opening li'ladjacent` openin'gZlv thus -forming,ajweb 41. Withthisform ofwasher thenut 3ft may be eliminated, Thus thefreeends of the strands' 26, will be inserted through the openings lill', and 29 respectively and twisted uponeach other andaboutthe webflll, to tightly clamp the washerV and the. stripv 28 in placeas shown in Figure 5.

It 'will also be understood that the clamps l) and-'l i` are interchangeableV and may readily be substituted. one for. theV other, in lan obvious manner. While preferred, embodiments of my novelgclamps are shownand described,l various changesand'improvements may be made without departing from the lscope and spirit of the appendedrcl'aims.

'a cushioning means carried'by, said wire, said cushioning means being adapted to overlap and engage the front faces of said panels, a iiat plate carried by said Wire member and engageable with said cushioning means, and means on the plate Ytovwhich t-he'freeV end of said wire member is secured for holding said cushioning means in clamping engagement with said panels and for holding said panels in closed positions.`

2. A clamp for holding spaced panels to the front frame of a stove comprising al flexible wire member ofY substantially U -shape and having-'free endsY adapted toA extend forwardly through an, opening formed in thefront frameandfbetween' and beyondthe edges` of adjacent; panels,- a stopV member carriedV bythe inner end-of-V` said jwi-i'e member and engageable with sa-id frame, a cushioning strip carried by said' wiregmember, saidcushioning strip being adapted*4 to'y overlap and engage* saidpanels, a substantially llat` washer carried by saidwire member andengageable with said cushioning-strip, Asaid,vy'asherhaving perforationsthrough which the freef ends of the wire member extends,,andjmeans on` the Washer-between said perforations; to wliiehthe1 free ends of said wire member are attachedfffor holding said washer againstfsaid cushioningfstrip whereby the latter is heldin ciampi-ng engage'- ment with said drawer `and panelsare clamped in closed'positions.

3. A clamp forV holding spaced panels tolthefront frame ofa stove comprising -a exible---wire member having a free endV adapted foo-extend' forwardly through an opening-formedin the fronti frame and'between and beyondthe edgesof-adjai cent panels, stop means on the rearfend ofsaii wire member engageable with said frame, a cushioning means carried by said cushioningrneans being adapted/to overlapand engage the front faces of saidV panels, a at plat-ef-V carried by said wire member and engageable with said cushioning means, said plate being -cutA` away at vspaced intervals to provide a web mem`- ber to which the free endof saldi-Wire inem-berl is secured for holding said cushioning means in, clamping engagement with sa'id-V panels andforl holding said panels in closed positions. Y

CHRISTOPHER'L. HARDWICK.

REFERENCES CITED The fpllowingreferences are of record inthe leof this patent:

Y UNITED i STATES PATEBTTS wire, said(V Hardwick Apr; 21, 1942A` 

